Donald Trump Admits He Cannot Run for Third Term as Court Losses Pile Up
Trump admits he cannot seek third term as federal courts block Portland troop deployment and remove his acting U.S. attorney for exceeding legal limits.
Good morning everyone. Overnight, Donald Trump suffered a series of major legal defeats as the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals once again blocked his attempt to deploy troops to Portland, and the Central District of California ruled that his handpicked acting U.S. Attorney was unlawfully serving in office. As these rulings landed, Trump began his day in East Asia, where he publicly admitted for the first time that he cannot seek a third term as president.
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With that, here’s the news:
Donald Trump acknowledged that he is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term, saying it is “pretty clear” he cannot run again despite having what he described as his highest poll numbers ever. Speaking aboard Air Force One on his way to South Korea, Trump called it “too bad” that he is not allowed to run but added that there are “a lot of great people” who could step forward.
House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed there is no legal path for Trump to seek a third term, explaining that the 22nd Amendment explicitly limits presidents to two terms and that amending the Constitution would take years and require widespread state approval. Although Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of a third term and expressed that he would “love to do it,” he appeared to concede that it is not legally possible while continuing to highlight his strong support among voters.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals granted Oregon’s request to re-hear its case blocking President Trump from deploying National Guard troops to Portland, vacating a prior three-judge panel’s decision that overturned the restraining order. The case will now be reconsidered by an 11-judge panel, keeping the original restraining order in place while Oregon argues that Trump exceeded his authority by attempting to federalize the state’s National Guard during protests.
A federal judge ruled that Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli has exceeded the legal time limit for serving in the role and disqualified him from overseeing several criminal cases in Southern California. Judge J. Michael Seabright found that Essayli, a Trump appointee who has not been Senate-confirmed, has been unlawfully holding the position since July 29, marking the third time in recent months that a Trump-appointed acting U.S. attorney has been removed for exceeding federal limits.
Donald Trump’s arrival in Gyeongju, South Korea, for APEC-related events was met with protests from progressive groups and opposition politicians who accused him of imposing unfair trade tariffs and pressuring Seoul to boost defense spending. Demonstrators chanted anti-APEC and anti-Trump slogans, with some staging symbolic performances portraying Trump as bound and unwelcome, while Justice Party leader Kwon Young-kook denounced APEC for serving powerful nations over equitable economic growth.
President Donald Trump dismissed all six members of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, the federal board responsible for reviewing his planned White House ballroom and proposed “Arc de Trump” monument in Washington, D.C. The White House said it will appoint new commissioners aligned with Trump’s “America First” agenda as public criticism mounts over his $300 million ballroom project and grand arch design modeled after Paris’s Arc de Triomphe.
The Republican-led U.S. Senate voted 52–48 to end President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Brazilian imports such as coffee and beef, marking a rare bipartisan rebuke of his trade policies. The resolution, introduced by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, aims to revoke the national emergency Trump used to justify imposing the tariffs.
Melanie Stansbury just pushed back on Jake Tapper using Republican talking points in this interview.
As the U.S. government shutdown nears a full month, millions of Americans face worsening impacts, including the loss of SNAP food assistance, higher health insurance premiums, and unpaid federal workers such as air traffic controllers and TSA agents. The Trump administration is scrambling to find funds to pay active-duty military members, while states and courts battle over emergency measures to sustain essential programs like food aid and child services.
On a personal note, we raised $10,000 for the local DC food bank in the past 24 hours, the second largest individual fundraisers in the food bank’s history.
Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson rejected Democratic efforts to pursue mid-cycle redistricting, saying the legal and political risks outweighed potential gains from adding one congressional seat. In a letter to lawmakers, Ferguson warned that redrawing maps could backfire given the conservative makeup of the state’s Supreme Court and argued it would be hypocritical to condemn racial gerrymandering while supporting partisan map manipulation.
The Pentagon has implemented a new policy to expedite the firing of civilian employees, directing supervisors to remove underperforming staff “with speed and conviction.” Signed by Undersecretary Anthony Tata on September 30, the memo shortens dismissal timelines and increases managerial accountability, part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s broader effort under President Trump to reshape the military workforce and remove officials viewed as misaligned with the administration.
A federal judge extended an injunction blocking the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the ongoing government shutdown, halting plans for mass layoffs across agencies. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ruled that the firings violated federal law and emphasized their severe human impact, rejecting government arguments that the shutdown allowed for workforce reductions and warning that such actions could dismantle essential agencies.
Paramount Skydance announced plans to lay off more than 1,000 employees just months after the Trump administration approved its $8 billion merger with Skydance Media. CEO David Ellison said the cuts are part of a restructuring effort to align with new growth priorities, while additional layoffs may follow as the company continues its consolidation and pursues potential acquisitions such as Warner Bros. Discovery.
Cameroon’s opposition leaders rejected official results declaring 92-year-old President Paul Biya the winner of the October 12 election, sparking nationwide protests and clashes with security forces that left several people dead and hundreds arrested. International organizations including the EU and the UN condemned the government’s violent crackdown, while opposition figures accused the Constitutional Council of manipulating results and undermining democratic processes.
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza overnight killed at least 104 Palestinians, including 35 children, marking the deadliest day since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire began and raising fears it may collapse. The strikes followed a firefight between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order retaliation as Hamas accused Israel of violating the truce and international groups condemned the escalating violence.
Tulane University confirmed that rhesus monkeys which escaped after a truck crash in Mississippi were not carrying any infectious diseases, contradicting earlier reports from local authorities. Officials said all but one of the monkeys were killed following the accident, which scattered crates labeled “live animals” along Interstate 59, and warned that the surviving monkey was aggressive.
Russian operatives with ties to the Kremlin are working to block the extradition of Horațiu Potra, a Romanian-French mercenary arrested in Dubai for allegedly conspiring to overthrow Romania’s government. Potra, linked to far-right politician Călin Georgescu and accused of collaborating with pro-Russian figures, faces charges of plotting a coup, illegal campaign financing, and tax evasion, while Moscow-connected intermediaries Igor Spivak and Alexander Kalinin are reportedly leading efforts to secure his release.
